


Call Me (By My Name)

by Hcpelesshcney



Series: Meeting the Family [1]
Category: Andi Mack - Fandom
Genre: Anxiety, Babies, M/M, Meeting the Family, oof so many babies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-19
Updated: 2018-07-19
Packaged: 2019-06-13 05:24:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15357210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hcpelesshcney/pseuds/Hcpelesshcney
Summary: Hello hello! I’m back! I promise I’m working on the final part to my Snow Days verse but... I’ve been busy. And distracted. In the mean time! Please enjoy Cyrus meeting the gaggle of Kippens that TJ doesn’t really talk about. I’m uber proud of them.





	Call Me (By My Name)

**Author's Note:**

> Hello hello! I’m back! I promise I’m working on the final part to my Snow Days verse but... I’ve been busy. And distracted. In the mean time! Please enjoy Cyrus meeting the gaggle of Kippens that TJ doesn’t really talk about. I’m uber proud of them.

 

     The day that Cyrus finds out what TJ stands for, he meets the Kippen family for the first time.

 

     Cyrus and TJ had been dating for four months, and while TJ has met Cyrus’ parents many, many times, Cyrus had only met TJ’s Mom in passing. When she dropped him off at school. When they ran into each other while out grocery shopping. When TJ would spend the night and she came to pick him up. Cyrus has never met the other Kippens. And TJ... rarely talked about them.

 

     Cyrus knew there were a lot of them. That TJ was the middle child, and one of only two boys in a family run by girls. But beyond that? Nothing. TJ is a closed book when it comes to his home life. Cyrus isn’t really sure why.

 

     So the day that TJ asks him to come over for dinner, he panics. Just a little bit. It’s never happened before, TJ has always just spent time at Cyrus’ houses. Not the other way around. This was a major development. Wasn’t it?

 

     “Buffy,” Cyrus says, tucked away in his closet, “I have nothing to wear.”

 

     Buffy, for her part, only rolls her eyes. They had been FaceTiming for an hour, Cyrus calling her as soon as he got in the car after school. She now had done nothing but stare at Cyrus’ ceiling fan for fifteen minutes, because he’d thrown his phone down on the bed in order to go scavenging through his wardrobe.

 

     “Cy, I’m sure there’s something. It’s not that big of a deal.” And Cyrus freezes. He very slowly untangles himself from the pile of clothes he’d dropped on the floor and went to go pick up his phone. He sits down on his bed, and Buffy is immediately overwhelmed by how nervous he looks. Even all the way in Phoenix, she can tell.

 

     “Cyrus,” she says, making sure she has his full attention before she continues, “You know it’s not going to matter right? What you wear?”

 

     He frowns, because it sure feels like it’s going to matter. “Buffy, what if-“

 

     “Hey, no. Don’t go there. As much as it pains me to admit, TJ adores you. No matter what you wear.”

 

     “But what if his family doesn’t? What if... what if they hate me?”

 

     So that’s what it’s really about, Buffy thinks. It’s not even about the clothes. It’s about the impression.

 

     “Cyrus, they’re not going to hate you.” And it helps a little that she sounds so sure of it, bult...

 

     “Buffy, what-“

 

     “No. Cy, everyone loves you. Parents always think you’re incredible. This time won’t be any different.”

 

     Except it is. This is the first time he’s going to meet TJ’s family, his boyfriend’s family. He’s never felt so nervous in his life. “Buf, this is a big deal, though. What if I say something wrong? What if they have a carpeted dining room and I spill grape juice all over the floor? What if-“

 

     “Stop that.” Her voice is soft, but it still commands attention. And then- Buffy is ranting. Well, not ranting but Pep Talk-ing. And when she gets started, there is no stopping her. “And if, for some reason, they don’t like you, well then it’s their loss. Because you’re great, Cyrus, seriously. And TJ is so lucky to be with you. Frankly I’m surprised he hasn’t managed to run you off yet.”

 

     “Buffy.”

 

     “I’m just saying. Anyway, the important thing to remember is that you’ll be fine. Your relationship will be fine. His family will love you. Or, they’ll tolerate you, at least. I mean, that tolerate TJ, so...”

 

     “Thanks for the vote of confidence, Buf.” And he’s sarcastic, but smiling.

 

     Buffy smiles back, bright and smug. She knows her words worked, at least enough to get him through picking out an outfit. After that? Well, that’s TJ’s job.

 

———

 

     Cyrus changes four times, and still winds up wearing the first outfit he put on. Was dinner supposed to be semi-formal? He wasn’t actually sure, but he threw on a maroon blazer just in case.

 

     His stepmom dropped him off at the Kippen residence at 6 o’clock, fifteen minutes earlier than TJ told him to be there. It was just their rule of thumb to be places early. His father always said that 15 minutes early was on time, and on time was late. As a result, Cyrus was standing awkwardly on the front step to their house, trying to keep his hands from shaking long enough to press the doorbell. Or, trying to calm down to at least keep himself from stress-vomiting. The longer he waited, the more likely that ending seemed.

 

     From outside, Cyrus could hear the TV running. An episode of... Wonder Pets? Why on earth were they watching the Wonder Pets? He finally presses the bell.

 

     What sounds like footsteps running towards him beat through the door. It helps to settle his nerves a little, hearing something so mundane. The door opens, and a blonde girl who looks like she’s only a few years younger than Cyrus peaks through the crack. There’s a chain, he realizes, as she closes the door to slide it out of the lock. Then she throws the door open again and turns around on her heels. Doesn’t introduce herself to Cyrus at all. Which seems like an awfully little kid thing to do. Cyrus follows him inside, because really, what else is he supposed to do?

 

     “Tyler Joseph, get down here!” She screams, stopping at the bottom of a narrow staircase, “Your boyfriend is here!” She turns to Cyrus then, sweeping her eyes over him like she’s judging. Cyrus crosses his arms over his chest, but it’s more of a security measure than anything.

 

     “He’ll be down in a minute.” She says, “I’ll let Mom know you’re here.”

 

     Cyrus figures Mrs. Kippen already knew he was here, because how could she not with all the noise TJ’s sister was making? God, was it bad he still didn’t even know her name? She turns away from him again, and disappears down the hall.

 

     Cyrus sits down on the bottom step, looking around at his surroundings. From the outside, the house had seemed... run down. Paint peeling off the sides, wood door bleached from years in the sun. But the inside of the house, from what he could see, felt lived in. Family pictures lined the hallway TJ’s sister had disappeared down. A large Roman numeral clock was hung on the wall to the right of the door. Shoes of all sizes were cast aside on the floor. It’s messy in a way that Cyrus’ house never is. Is this what it’s like to have siblings?

 

     TJ comes running down the stairs. Cyrus had been sitting with his eye closed at that point, cooling his nerves while listening to the noise resounding from further in the house. A steady hum of arguing, clanging pots, another episode of the Wonder Pets. Cyrus wondered why he hadn’t seen anyone else yet. The house wasn’t that big, surely-

 

     “Why are you just sitting there?” TJ startles him out of his thoughts. He stands quickly, losing his balance and tumbling over his feet in an attempt to face his boyfriend. TJ reaches an arm out on instinct, keeping him from toppling over. “You good?”

 

     “Yes,” Cyrus says, smoothing his hands over his blazer. He feels... overdressed now. TJ’s still in the same t-shirt and jeans he had on at school. “I, um, was waiting. For you.”

 

     “On the stairs?”

 

     “Uhm, Yes. Your sister didn’t tell me where the living room was. Or where your room was, so I couldn’t find you. Actually, she didn’t even tell me her name.”

 

     TJ frowns, “That’s Tera for you. C’mon, I’ll show you around.”

 

     He leads Cyrus down through the hallway. “The kitchen is straight down this way. Mom’s been in there since I got home. She gets pretty crazy when any of us have company over.” He doesn’t say that they don’t have company over often. He doesn’t say that he’s never actually had company over. And he definitely doesn’t tell Cyrus how tight his chest felt right now at the prospect of his house so small compared to Cyrus’ own. But Cyrus can tell something’s wrong. He stands just a little bit closer.

 

     They walk past the living room on their way back to the kitchen. Cyrus glances in, noting a set of plush-looking couches and a flatscreen TV. There was a baby in a bouncer parked in from of the TV, and the sister Cyrus has met a few minutes before tucked in the corner of the farthest couch, on her phone. TJ said her name was Tera? But wait-

 

     “That’s Taylor.” TJ says, like he read his mind. Or, maybe he has to clarify that a lot. “Tera’s twin.”

 

     Cyrus looks at him, and Taylor looks up. “I’m the better twin.” She says, going back to her phone. TJ scoffs. Cyrus laughs.

 

     “The baby is Tessa.” TJ adds, and as if on cue, the baby whines. TJ walks into the room to pick her up, so Cyrus follows.

 

     “What’s wrong, sweet girl?” TJ brushes at the wispy strands of fine blonde hair that curled around the edges of her face. He sets her on his hip, and she snuggles close, pressing her chubby cheek against his shoulder. If Cyrus said he wasn’t melting at that point, he’d be lying. Once she settles down, TJ turns his attention to his other sister. “Tay, this is Cyrus.”

 

     The girl looks up again, looking Cyrus over the exact same way her twin did. She doesn’t look very impressed, but she says it’s nice to meet him, regardless. TJ leads him back out into the hallway, Tessa still clinging to him. “That’s about as good as it gets with either twin, sorry.”

 

     Cyrus shakes his head, “It’s fine, Teej. They’re... interesting.”

 

     “That’s one word for it.” They keep walking, passing by a handful of closed doors. Bedrooms, he says. They reach the kitchen, a room painted bright sunshine yellow. The doorframe has pencil marks along the side of it, marking each child’s height as they’d grown. Cyrus reads 8 different names. His eyes find TJ’s full name again, and he reads it over and over. He’d never thought to ask if TJ stood for anything, but he didn’t have to now. Tyler Joseph. It felt more personal than just TJ. Cyrus ticks that information away.

 

     Mrs. Kippen is standing in front of the stove, curly blonde hair tied up in a messy knot. She turns around when they walk into the room, and her face lights up immediately. A small woman, she looks too young to have raised 8 kids. She smiles, wipes her hands off on the apron tied around her waist.

 

     “Oh, hello. You must be Cyrus!” She extends her hand, and Cyrus shakes it, a little startled at how firm her grasp was. “Tyler’s told me a lot about you.”

 

     Cyrus cuts his eyes over to where TJ is standing with the baby, seeming absorbed in babbling with her. He can’t really believe that his family knows much about Cyrus when he hardly knows much about them. He does not voice this, but makes a note to ask him about it later. “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Kippen.”

 

     Mrs. Kippen makes a face, “Oh, no, dear. Please, call me Alison. Mrs. Kippen is my mother-in-law.”

 

     Tera, who was sitting at old wooden dinner table, snorts. She looks like she’s working on homework, papers spread out around her. TJ, for his part, sits at the counter on one of the high backed stools. He sets Tessa down on the counter in front of him, and she coos happily. Cyrus just nods.

 

     He moves to sit down beside TJ, taking off his blazer now that he realized how laid back the rest of the situation was. He drapes it over the back of his seat. “It’s nice to meet you.” He says, polite despite the nerves curling in his stomach, “Thanks for having me over.”

 

     Mrs. Kippen- Er, Alison had turned back toward the stovetop, stirring something in a large pot with a wooden spoon. “It’s no problem, dear. Frank and I have been trying to get Tyler to invite you over for a while now.”

 

     Cyrus looks at TJ, confused. He shrugs, a *we’ll talk about it later*.

 

     “Well, I appreciate it. My moms have been asking about meeting you guys, too.”

 

     “Oh! Moms, you have two?”

 

     Cyrus laughs, the awkward here we go again kind he saves solely for when he has to explain about his parents. “Kind of. My mom and dad are divorced. Both of them remarried. So, two moms. And dads, I guess.”

 

     Mrs. Kippen makes a noise that borders on pity. “Oh, well, sorry to hear that.”

 

     Cyrus shrugs, “It’s alright. It happened when I was little so this is pretty much the only family I’ve known. I love my parents, though. All four of them.”

 

     “That’s nice,” Mrs. Kippen comments, “Do you have any siblings?”

 

     “Oh, no. I’m an only child.”

 

     From behind them, Tera says, “Can I give you some of mine? There’s too many.”

 

     Mrs. Kippen huffs, “Tera!” But the admonishment doesn’t do much. The kids are laughing, and the room feels warm and alive. She shuts off the stove, setting the pot on the back burner. “Well, you all go wash up, dinner is ready. Tera, go tell the rest of the family.”

 

     From her seat, Tera looks like she’s going to scream for them before her mom adds, “I can do that! Get up and collect them, for God’s sake.” Tera rolls her eyes, getting up from her seat. She leaves the room, and TJ looks over at Cyrus, nodding towards the doorway.

 

     He carries the baby with him, leading Cyrus to the downstairs bathroom. “You really only need to wash your hands. Mom’s kind of a freak about that.” He adds, “I’ll save you a seat.”

 

     Cyrus nods, shutting the door behind him. He washes his hands quickly, taking just a minute to look himself over in the mirror. He doesn’t look as nervous as he thought he would. Maybe the fact that the family members he’d already met didn’t make it a big deal helped.

 

———

 

     When he walks back to the kitchen, everyone is seated. Mr. Kippen, who had been somewhere else in the house when Cyrus arrived, was seated at the head of the table. He looked exactly how Cyrus imagined he would. Broad-shouldered, stern-faced. His hair color threw Cyrus off a little, a much deeper brown than he would have guessed. It was turning grey at his temples, but not enough to tell from a ways away. When he sees Cyrus, he stands, offers his hand. Cyrus shakes it tentatively, more nervous about meeting him than he’d been about meeting Mrs. Kippen.

 

     “It’s nice to meet you, Cyrus,” He says, as the boy goes to sit down in the only empty seat. He’s tucked at the end, next to the twins. TJ sits across from him, with Tessa to hue right and Mrs. Kippen beside her, seated next to Mr. Kippen. “Tyler finally invited you over, huh?”

 

     Cyrus nods, taking the basket of bread rolls that Tera had passed over. “I’m sure it would have happened sooner, but I’ve been pretty busy with school stuff.”

 

     Mrs. Kippen, bless her, swoops in to distract Mr. Kippen from launching into some form of interrogation. Cyrus makes a mental note to thank her for it later.

 

     The rest of dinner passes in a way that reminds Cyrus of a sitcom family. They laugh and joke and snark at each other like it’s the easiest thing in the world. Cyrus actually feels comfortable to throw his two cents in every now and then, and when one of the twins laughs, or when one of TJ’s parents smile at him, he feels like he’s standing in the sun. Like this is how things are supposed to be. Easy and light and enjoyable. Why had he been so nervous before?

 

     He sneaks a glance at TJ during dessert, the same way he’d been doing all night, and he has this soft look on his face. He’s happy, obviously, but there’s something else there, too. Cyrus knocks their feet together under the table, a subtle acknowledgement he’d figured out how to do during trips to The Spoon, or lunch with their friends. He smiles at him, and TJ ducks his head, pale pink creeping across his cheeks.

 

     After dinner, the twins help Mr. Kippen with clean up while Mrs. Kippen takes Tessa upstairs to get her ready for bed.

 

     “Is it alright if we go hang out in my room?” TJ asks, leaning against the counter by his dad.

 

     Mr. Kippen looks up from the sink, where he’s elbow-deep in sudsy water. “Door open.”

 

     “Yes, Dad.” TJ gestures for Cyrus to follow him to his room, which is upstairs, too. They walk down another hallway, pictures of the Kippen kids when they were younger lining these walls, too.

 

     TJ opens the door to his room and- it’s nothing like what Cyrus would have thought. Everything is white. The closet, the bookshelf, his bed frame. Even the tiny desk that’s pushed off into the corner is white. The walls are a bright blue in contrast. All the rooms in the house seem to be painted bright. Cyrus kind of loves it.

 

     TJ sits on his bed, back pressed against the wall. Cyrus sits next to him, a more than a foot of space separating them. “So,” He says, slow, like he’s thinking about what to say, “Ready to never come back here ever?”

 

     Cyrus laughs, but stops when he looks over, because TJ looks serious. There’s something there beneath his schooled expression that screams scared. Cyrus frowns. “What do you mean?”

 

     “I mean,” TJ shrugs, “My family is like, crazy. I figured they’d scare you off. That- that’s why this your first time here. And... last time, I guess.”

 

     Cyrus reaches over, linking their hands together. He sets their joined hands in his lap, running his thumb over TJ’s. “I like them, actually. I’ll come back if you want me too. Do you?”

 

     TJ is quiet for a second, then he scoots over and rests his head on Cyrus’ shoulder. “If you want to.” Then he adds, “You really like them?”

 

     Cyrus nods, launching into a long rant about how this was the first dinner that didn’t feel like a therapy session he’d had in a long time. “Don’t get me wrong,” He says, “I love my family. But it’s different as an only child. All the attention is on you. But here... it’s like it didn’t matter what I said because there was someone else to add onto it, or change the subject completely. It was... nice. Like, really nice. Your family obviously loves you.”

 

     “They’re a pain, actually.”

 

     “Maybe, but still. You’re really lucky.” Cyrus notices Mrs. Kippen walk past the room, and even though she tries to make it seem like she’s not listening in, Cyrus can tell that she is. She’s a mom, of course she is.

 

     “There’s 8 of you guys, right? In all?” Cyrus asks, because it feels like he’ll be quizzed on it later.

 

     TJ nods, “Yeah. Wild, right? Trevor is the oldest. He’s almost... 32 I think? He moved out right before I was born, so I never really knew what it was like living with him at home.”

 

     “That must be weird.”

 

     “Kind of. It’s like... there’s supposed to be someone who’s part of your life, part of your family, but they’re going before you can even remember them. He felt more like a distant cousin than an older brother for a while.”

 

     “And he’s the only other boy?”

 

     “Unfortunately.”

 

     TJ shifts so that he’s lying down, his head on Cyrus’ lap. Cyrus’s hands automatically to go his hair, untangling the strands. Usually TJ’s hair is cemented in gel, but he must have washed it before Cyrus got there, because right now it’s soft and just barely wavy. Cyrus loves it.

 

     “Trevor lives with his family in Idaho.” TJ continues, closing his eyes while Cyrus continues to mess with his hair, “His wife, Natalie, is pretty cool I guess. She keeps him in line. They’re expecting their first kid next June, which is kind of a big deal for my mom, since he’s the first born and all.”

 

     Cyrus nods like he understand what that’s like, but he doesn’t really. He’s the only born, so far. And the rest of his friends are only children, too.

 

     “Anyway, then there’s Thalia and Theron. They’re both 27-“

 

     “Another set of twins?”

 

     “Yeah,” TJ laughs, more of a can you believe it? kind of laugh than anything, “it runs in the family. Theron’s older by like... three minutes but she’s ridiculously proud of that. Even though it’s not like Mom could have controlled it, y’know? She lives in Oregon with her family. Don’t really care much for her husband, Reuben, but their kids are great. Two boys. One’s five and the other just turned three.”

 

     “How do you keep track of everyone?” Cyrus asks, completely serious. They’re only really two siblings in and he’s already losing track. TJ looks up at him, the edges of his eye crinkling when he smiles.

 

     “It’s not too hard if you’ve been around people for a while. You’ll get the hang of it.”

 

     Cyrus looks suspicious, but he nods and encourages TJ continue.

 

     “As I was saying, Thalia is the next one. She lives in... Washington, I’m pretty sure. Her husband is actually pretty cool. His name is Kevin. Their daughters are really sweet, too. All three of them are 10 this year.”

 

     “All.... three of them?”

 

     “Yeah, triplets. Thalia sure has her hands full. And, yes. I know what you’re thinking. Doing the math. Thalia was a junior in high school when she had them. Mom wasn’t too happy at the time, but she adores them all now. And Thalia’s really strong, actually. Finished high school and college. I’m proud of her.” He opens his eyes again, “Don’t tell her I said that.”

 

     Cyrus frowns, “Haven’t even met her yet, Teej.”

 

     “Well, yeah, I know. But she’d never let me live it down if you told her. You’ll meet everyone eventually, anyway.”

 

     “But anyway, Theron moved out when I was 5. Thalia moves out when I was 9. I think it was harder for me when she moved away because she had to take my nieces with her.”

 

     “Not that she had to move away at all?”

 

     “No, I mean, yeah. But those babies. I was really proud of them, of being able to help her with them, even though I know I probably wasn’t much help, actually.”

 

     “And then there’s Tony. She’s 19, and a sophomore at UCLA. She’s pretty cool, you’d like her. She’s actually hard of hearing because of some genetic condition I can never remember the name of.”

 

     Cyrus hums, “So like, does she have to use sign language then?”

 

     TJ nods, “Sometimes. It’s weird, because like, usually she can hear just fine. But when she gets really stressed or sick or something, her hearing acts up. So it’s just easier to talk to her in sign. The whole family knows it, and Mom’s trying to teach Tessa right now, too.”

 

     “Do you think you could teach me? So I can talk to her just in case when I meet her sometime?”

 

     TJ sits up, looks at Cyrus like he’s just seeing him for the first time. Like he’s just realizing how great of a guy Cyrus is for the first time, “You’d do that?” And he nods, because of course Cyrus would. “Yeah. Yeah, of course I’ll teach you. Fair warning though, Mom would probably be better at it than I will.”

 

     “Please,” Cyrus says, “I’m sure you’ll be fine. Keep talking though, that’s only four.”

 

     TJ rolls his eyes, settling back down so his head is in Cyrus’ lap again. So sue him, it’s comfortable. Plus, Cyrus playing with his hair is nice. “Well, you’ve met both of the younger twins. Tera and Taylor are turning 13 in December. They’re a pain in the ass, to be honest.”

 

     “TJ,” Cyrus admonishes, even though he’s laughing, “Be nice.”

 

     “Cy, That is my nice. The only saving grace of this family is Tessa. She just turn 5 months old.”

 

     “Ah, yes, the baby. Your favorite.”

 

     TJ smirks, not quiet a full smile, “You’re my favorite, Cy.”

 

     “I’m pretty sure you love that little girl more than me, actually.”

 

     “Never.”

 

     They’re quiet again, listening to the laughter and music that’s floating up from downstairs. Tera and Taylor and singing along to the boyband music they’d put on while washingthe dishes. Mrs. Kippen was chattering about her day to Mr. Kippen somewhere else in the house. The sound of rain was coming from Tessa’s room, a white noise machine to cancel out the rest of the noise coming in through the house so the baby could sleep. It was nice. Home-y. Cyrus loved all the chaos that it equaled.

 

     “So,” He tries keeping his voice even, neutral, “Tyler Joseph?”

 

     TJ scowls at him, “You weren’t supposed to know.”

 

     Cyrus tried to keep himself from laughing. He really does. But TJ looks to horrified at the fact that Cyrus knows, that he can’t help it. He laughs, and laughs. And laughs. TJ swats at his arm, totally uncommitted at gettin him to stop.

 

     “I love it.” Cyrus says softly, once he’d settled down enough to breathe and regain himself. “It fits you.”

 

     “TJ fits me.” TJ rebuttals, moving to sit up. “I’m trying to get them to see that.”

 

     Cyrus looks him over, catching his eye for a moment. “TJ fits who you are at school.” He says finally.

 

     “What’s that supposed to mean?”

 

     “It means that you’re different at school. Still the same, kind of, but more guarded. More... prickly.”

 

     “Prickly?” TJ snorts, amused, “Like a cactus.”

 

     “Oh, c’mon that’s not what I mean. I’m just saying, you’re more open here. Like, how you were acting with Tessa? No one would ever believe the Big Bad TJ Kippen would be so soft with a baby. But Tyler? I can see that.”

 

     “You make it sound like I’m two different people.”

 

     “Not exactly. Just... there’s Home You, and then there’s School You. I like this you better.”

 

     TJ looks at him, and Cyrus can tell he’s getting it, even just a little bit. “You do?”

 

     “Yeah. I do.” Then, he smiles and adds, “Tyler.”

 

     Cyrus laughs, light and happy. And TJ groans, falling back against his bed. He would be hearing about this until the end of time, he’s sure.

**Author's Note:**

> I posted this on mobile so I can’t fix the formatting just yet but ! I will I promise. 
> 
> Follow my tumblr! @heartlessromantik


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